Haryana farmers have announced a highway blockade for Saturday to protest new biometric and vehicle-tracking rules for wheat procurement, calling the digital system a "Mahabharat" for growers. (File Photo for representation)A section of farmer unions in Haryana Thursday announced a four-hour highway blockade on Saturday to oppose the state government’s new Aadhaar-based biometric verification for wheat procurement at mandis. Some farmers also staged symbolic protests by bringing their produce in bullock carts, mocking the requirement of photographing tractors and recording vehicle numbers.The government has introduced geofencing around mandis and warehouses to monitor crop and vehicle movement, as part of a three-tier crop verification system to prevent paddy from neighbouring states entering Haryana markets. Officials say this system will match crops brought to procurement centres with those registered by farmers on government portal, making verification more reliable.However, farmers argue the process has become excessively burdensome. Samyukta Kisan Morcha (SKM) leader Suresh Koth from Hisar said, “How many times do we have to prove we are genuine farmers? First, we register on the Meri Fasal-Mera Byora portal, then we wait for our turn in the mandi, and once there, we face biometric checks, tractor photos, and endless questions. This has become a Mahabharat for us”At Sadhaura mandi in Yamunanagar, a 70-year-old farmer told former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda, “My tractor-trolley stood at the gate for three days. I am old, where do I sleep at night? My tractor is very old, I don’t have its papers, and even my thumb impression could not be verified. What has become of a farmer’s life when he must wait in queues for 36 hours?”Hooda assured him, “We will get this norm of biometric verification stopped.”In Jind’s Julana mandi, another farmer arrived with his crop in a bullock cart accompanied by drumbeats and slogans, calling the new rule a “black law.” Another farmer, who too arrived at the mandi with his bullock cart, said, “We come to the mandis to sell our crops, not to be treated as though we are selling drugs.”Pagdi Sambhal Jatta Kisan Sangharsh Samiti president Mandeep Nathwan confirmed support for SKM’s April 11 blockade, citing the hardships faced by farmers.Story continues below this adFarmer leaders argue that growers should not be penalized for a scam involving rice millers and officials in 2025, when gate passes were issued without actual paddy arrivals. They allege traders sourced cheaper paddy from Uttar Pradesh and Bihar at Rs 1,500 per quintal instead of buying Haryana-grown paddy at the MSP of Rs 2,389, defrauding the state exchequer.Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini, meanwhile, accused the opposition of spreading misinformation. “As of April 8, 75 percent of wheat brought to mandis has been successfully verified through biometric authentication. Geofencing has been completed for 416 wheat mandis, 112 mustard mandis, and 179 additional locations.” He said that gate passes now require vehicle numbers and photographs, though exceptions are allowed for very old or new vehicles.Hooda, however, alleged, “Conditions such as portal registration, gate passes, biometric verification, tractor registration numbers, general verification, and the requirement of a guarantor are being arbitrarily imposed. Farmers are being treated like criminals. The government’s objective appears to be to entangle farmers in this bureaucratic maze so it can avoid procuring their crops altogether.”Sukhbir Siwach's extensive and in-depth coverage of farmer agitation against three farm laws during 2020-21 drew widespread attention. ... Read MoreStay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:chandigarh